Wearing surface of pavements, roads, treads, and the like



Dec. 10, 1929. v GA E 1,738,571

WEARING SURFACE OF PAVEMENTS, ROADS, TREADS, AND THE LIKE Filed June 25, 1928 Fi .8. Em). E1310. Fig/1. 7 27 W W W 2423 [II/mat:

.1! Earn? Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNETEE STATE THOMAS GAR-E, OF STOCKPORT, ENGLAND WEARING SURFACE OF PAVEMENTS, ROADS, TREADS, AI\TD THE LIKE Application filed June as, 1928, Serial No. 288,209, and in Great Britain August 19, 1927. I

This invention relates to that kind of wearing surface of pavements, roads, treads and the like which is composed of pieces of rubber and a mass of solid cement, the pieces of rubber being laid in the upper part of the mass during the production of the said mass, so as to have their upper surfaces exposed and leave exposed upper areas of the cement mass, and preferably projecting slightly above the top surface of the cement mass.

The object of the said invention is to prevent in a comparatively uncostly manner, the said pieces from lifting or being pushed, kicked or picked out of the cement whilst also avoiding the presence in the cement of weak areas or parts liable to crumble or be broken away.

I attain these objects and advantages'by the means illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which t Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan View of a wearing surface and illustrates one construction. a

Figure 2 is a View in section on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view in section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a wearing surface and illustrates a second construction,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified detail.

' Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan View of a wearing surface and illustrates a third construction.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a wearing surface and illustrates a fourth construction.

Figures 8 to 11 show some different crosssections of rubber which may be utilized.

Figure 12 shows a detached end View in section and illustrates a modification.

Referring to the drawings, in the construction shown in Figures 1 to 3, a plurality of oblong blocks 1 of soft rubber, of flat-oblong cross-section are secured together by rods or wires 4 which extend laterally through the blocks 1 at their ends and link the blocks 1 together in the manner of a multiple-link 50 chain. The wires 4 are situated near the ends of the blocks 1 and the ends are connected together in an alternate manner and abut laterally against each other with the result that oblong apertures completely surrounded by 1 rubber blocks are present in the fabric formed by the connecting together of the rubber blocks. Y I V Wires or rods 5 are also provided to extend through the blocks 1 and along the centres of the said apertures in a longitudinal direction on relative to the blocks 1 andsaid apertures.

This fabric of connected rubber blocks -1 is placed on a bed 6 of cement, seeparticularly Figures 2 and 3, which is laid where the pavement or the like is required and is pressed onto the bedb. The cement oozes up into the apertures and partly fills them. A mixing or preparation of the cement is then placed on the fabric and worked into the apertures to complete the filling thereof to the desired ex- 7 tent, see Figures 1 and 3. The surplus is then removed by brushing or other suitable means.

The cement is then allowed to set or harden.

The finished pavement thus consists of islands 7 of cementsurrounded by rubber in 75.

the form of oblong blocks 1 the upper surfaces of which project slightly above the surfaces of the islands 7 which are integral with the mass forming the bed 6. The rods or wires 4 and 5 secure the blocks firmly against lift ing and the said islands prevent material movement of the blocks in a lateral or longitudinal direction. The localized contraction and expansion of the comparatively small, separate blocks 4- of rubber 'is so slight as not to cause them to become materially loose andthe small strains due to such expansion and contraction are amply resisted by the wires 4 and 5 and islands 7. Furthermore the action of moisture or water which may get between the rubber and the bed 6 is localized and even although the rubber blocks 1 may not adhere to the cement, they are securely retained in position by the rods or wires 4 and 5 and the material 7 which is integral with the 7 walking on the pavement comes to rest on the 199 rubber blocks, and under dry conditions, when a cement surface isliable to cause sl1ps, act

. having 'cross wires 9 and longitudinal wires 1O threaded through them to connect them together and secure them in the bed 11 of cement. In this arrangement thejhardermaterial or substance, 11 completely surrounds each rubber bloclr 8; To retain the'blocks 8 in spaced relationship on the wires 9 before they are bedded in the cement any suitable distance pieces may be threaded on the wires 9; For

example a spring 12,Figure 5, may be provided on the-wires 9 between each two adjacent blocks;8.

I-t isto be understood that the rubber blocks may be disposed or spaced in many other ways and that. the connecting 'L11Cl/OI' anchoring wires or rods may also be disposed or threaded througlrthe blocksiirmany other ways. Figuresfi and Z illustrate by way of example two other arrangements.

In Figureo displaced rubber blocks 13 are connectedtogether by cross wires 14 andlongitudinalwires 15-to produce apertures which are filled with cement or the like 16, small rubber blocks-17- being provided on thewires 142 betweensome' ofthe ends; of the rubber blocks 13 to act as distance pieces and also maintain a continuity of. the rubber blocks whilst at the same time obtaining larger apertures for the reception-of the-cement 16.

III-Figure? displaced rubber blocks 18 are provided and aie connected together by cross wires-19,-long blocksor lengthsQO of rubber beingprovided bet-ween the ends of the blocks ,18and threaded'on the wires 19,- Longitudinal wires 21 extending through the long blocksor lengths 20 are also provided and "cross the wires 19. This arrangement produces displaced apertures filled with cement 22; I a

It willbe observed that inall of the hereinbefore describedconstructions or arrange- 'inentssome' or all of the wires are embedded at; di lferent parts of lengths in the cement or the like; a I V Therubber blocks or lengths, bed and fillings of the interstices or apertures may be producedin the form of slabs or flagsgfor laying: to form pavements-or for-use as stair or step treads and so forth Top'roduceslabs or flags amould is. preferably employed and the fabri'cof rubber and'wire or rods is placed in the bottom of the: mould which is then A construction of filled with the cement. The cement enters the interstices or apertures to fillthem and also fills that part of the mould which is not occupied by the said fabric. When the cement is set or has hardened, the'resulting slab or P flag is removed and when inverted, presents the desired mixed wearing surface on its upper side with the bed situated beneath.

The cross section of the blocks or lengths of rubber employed may be of any other suitable shape. For example it may be of square cross section, see Figure 8, or of T-cross section, see Figure 9, or of wedgecross-section, see Figure 10, or of triangular cross-section, see Figure 11.

In adition to the hereinbeforedescribed wires or rods, other anchoringor connecting means may be provided. For exampledepending members threaded onsome orv all of the wiresor rods may be arranged to dependinto the bed of cement or. the like. Bywayof illustration Figure 12 shows a perforated f strip 23 of sheet metalthreaded'on: a wire .or

rod 24 extending through the rubber block 25 V the perforated strip projecting downwards-1 into the bed 26ofz-cement or the like. Such means may be providedwherethe'wires or rods terminate'or in the intersticescor apertures or between the acent or abutting surfaces of the rubber blocks or rubber'blocksz and lengths. Another form: of. anchoring means consists in grooves or flutes provided in the side surfaces of the/blocks or lengths of rubber, for example flutes such as indicated by the reference numeral 27 in Figure 8.

lVhere the wires terminate they may be bent or cranked to project downwardsinto the bed.

Where the mixed wearing surface is produced in the form of slabs or flags, a'border or surrounding edge of cement is preferahly provided to enclose theedges of the, fabricof rubber and wire.

The said paving can be-employed amongst other purposes for paving. footpaths, roads,

playgrounds, steep slopes, floors of buildings and so forth. Wherethepaving is intended for roads, the rubber blocks and intersticesor aperturesare preferably of larger sizet'han when the paving is intended-for useby pedestrains only.

While the embodiments'of the invention herein particularly described are those now preferred, it is to be understood thatin its broad aspects the invention is not confined to the details of the disclosure, which are capable of modification, omissi'oiror substitution and are herein recited for explanation and withoutlimitativeintent, wherefore all modifications, substitutions, multiplications and omissions, whatsoever-,as fall within the scope of the appended claims are-t0 be deemed as included.

I claim 1. In a pavement, road, tread and the-like surface consisting of pieces Ofs ft-rubbe'r inlaid in the upper part of a mass of solid cement during production of the said mass, wires which are threaded through the pieces of rubber and cross over each other inside the pieces of rubber for retaining the pieces of rubber in position in the cement.

2. In. a pavement, road, tread and the like surface consisting of pieces of soft rubber inlaid in the upper part of amass of solid cement during production of the said mass, pieces of rubber having intersecting holes in them, wires threaded through the said holes and crossing each other where the holes intersect and spacing means provided between the said pieces and threaded on the said wires which retain the said pieces in position in the said mass.

3. In a pavement-road, tread and the like surface consisting of pieces of rubber inlaid in the upper part of a mass of solid cement during productionof the said mass, oblong pieces of rubber provided with longitudinal holes and cross holes, wires threaded through the longitudinal holes, and wires threaded through the cross holes and crossing the first named wires at one side thereof inside the pieces of rubber.

4:. In a pavement, road, tread and the like surface consisting of pieces of rubber inlaid in the upper part of a mass of solid cement during production of the said mass, oblong blocks of soft rubber provided with longitudinal holes extending through them and lateral holes extending through them at the ends. wires on which lateral rows of the said blocks are threaded at spaced distances apart by means of the lateral holes, wires threaded through the said blocks by means of the longitudinal holes and crossing the first named wires inside the blocks and connecting the lateral rows of blocks together and embedded in the said mass between the said rows, the

ends of the blocks of one lateral row overi lapping the ends of the blocks of the adjacent rows.

5. In a pavement, road, tread and the like surface consisting of pieces of rubber inlaid in the upper part of a mass of solid cement during the production of the said mass, lateral rows of oblong blocks of soft rubber with overlapping ends, lateral wires threaded through lateral holes in the overlapping ends of the blocks and connecting the rows together longitudinal wires threaded through longitudinal holes in the-blocks and crossing the lateral wires inside the blocks, spacing means provided on the lateral wires for retaining the overlapping ends at predetermined distances apart and parts of the mass of cement situatedvbetween the blocks and having embedded in them those parts of the wires which are not situated inside the said blocks.

6. In a pavement, road, tread and the like surface consisting of pieces of soft rubber inlaid in a mass of solid cement during proapart, there being two of the said wires threaded through each block, and other wires threaded through the blocks and crossing the first named wires inside the blocks, the whole V forming a selfsustaining rigid fabric and the wlres and wire coils belng embedded in the said mass between the rubber blocks.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification atManchester, in

the county ofLancaster, England, this 13th day of June, 1928. v THOMASGARE. 

